Would-be Wayfarer

These young women are part of a paranormal book club in Alabama. They emailed to invite me to their meeting and asked if I had any suggestions for discussion topics. I must confess that before their email it never occurred to me to create a reader guide for WOULD-BE WITCH, but I loved the idea of doing one. A lot of my favorite literary novels have them in the back and I always enjoy looking through the questions and coming up with my answers. So here's a list of WOULD-BE WITCH discussion questions that I came up with: WOULD-BE WITCH Reader Guide 1.) Tammy Jo’s closest family members are gone, leaving her with only the acerbic Edie for occasional familial support. How do you think this separation affects 23-year-old Tammy Jo? Have you ever been away from your home and those you know? Did it affect your behavior? 2.) Despite their often tumultuous relationship, Tammy Jo continues to be involved with her ex-husband, Zach Sutton. Is this understandable? 3.) The

Many thanks to Karla & the club for inviting me to their October book club. Kim was the most wonderful hostess and her house is a Halloween-lover's dream. We had dinner, chatted, and discussed BARELY BEWITCHED. I loved hearing their thoughts about the storyline of the series so far. Then I gave them a sneak-peek reading from HALFWAY HEXED, which went well even if I'm not able to get Tammy Jo's accent right. If there are ever audio books, we'll need some East Texas native to do the reading!

One day a few months back, I decided I needed a custom Southern Witch series coffee mug, so I designed this graphic with Tammy Jo quotes. Only when the mug came the script was too small to read. :( So then I moved on to creating a Team Mercutio graphic. That turned out much better, except that the mug that arrived was chipped. Arg! Luckily Cafe Press replaced it for free. Hurray. I will definitely buy more stuff from them. Anyway, I'm going to post some pictures of the mugs when I remember to charge my camera battery. Meanwhile, it's been an awesome week for connecting with readers. A man e-mailed that he wanted autographed copies of my books for his friend who loves them and is a writer. So yesterday I dropped by Murder By the Book to personalize the inscriptions and to slip a note inside. I hope Victoria likes it! Then I got several emails including one from a fourteen-year-old fan and one from an international fan in Turkey. It's so cool to have such a diverse readership

A beautiful new spot to brainstorm and write? Lately my routine's been disrupted because I've had workmen at my house putting in new French doors and a new floor. I have to say, I'm happy with the result. And maybe my own living room and back patio will become my home away from Starbucks. ;) Also, it's probably time to have some writers over for brunch, etc. I haven't entertained in too long!

Barely Bewitched is a National Bestseller. Thanks you, Readers! You made it happen. xoxo, Kimber

Edgar Allan Poe is credited with inventing detective stories and creating horror writing. When he died at the age of 40, his next of kin did not announce his death and virtually no one attended his funeral. His tombstone was destroyed and his obituary was apparently written by an enemy who succeeded in damaging Poe's reputation. But truth and talent will out...eventually. One of the devoted has for decades left three roses and cognac on his grave. And tonight there will be an all-night vigil, followed by a new funeral. With his other admirers, I pay my respects with the reading of one my favorites... Spirits of the Dead by Edgar Allan Poe Thy soul shall find itself alone 'Mid dark thoughts of the gray tombstone -- Not one, of all the crowd, to pry Into thine hour of secrecy. Be silent in that solitude, Which is not loneliness--for then The spirits of the dead who stood In life before thee are again In death around thee--and their will Shall overshadow thee: be still The nigh

I remember when my brother and I were reading the Harry Potter series, we both loved the adorably odd Luna Lovegood, so I was delighted to find her well cast and a fun focal point of the recent Potter movies. The thing I love about her in the films is that despite being a little bizarre, she often strikes at the heart of the truth in the dire world of magic, giving Harry the advice he needs when he needs it. She is also wonderfully oblivious to other people's opinions, even the Ministry of Magic's. She marches contentedly to the beat of her own drum, while wearing some crazy "Fashion Don'ts"...which of course makes me like her all the more. :)

Spotted: One of the minor fae in captivity. This young faery, who sometimes goes by the name Tinker Bell, was seen trying to get out into the rain. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, she reported: "For the record, faeries do not live in townhouses, bungalows, and especially not skyscrapers in congested cities. True fae, in fact, do not live indoors at all, only underhill, and [she] was just coming inside for some honey and cookies when an annoying human closed a window." Hmm, sorry about that, and about occasionally misrepresenting the fae in books. It's just that research is tough because our paths don't cross all that often when creatures of the twilight live outdoors and most human authors do not. (The good news is that my backyard looks more wild every day, so I should have some wee folk out there soon to interview for research purposes.) Hope everyone's doing great this week, and I wonder: Do you have a favorite fae legend?

I just had tea with my friend Laura, and, knowing that the fae play a big role in BARELY BEWITCHED, she brought me a fantastic gift. It's a book called ENCHANTED by Linda Ravenscroft. For anyone who likes fairy stuff, Ms. Ravenscroft's work is beautiful. Here's the link to her website: http://www.lindaravenscroft.com/store/ Meanwhile, the Labor Day weekend's kicking off. I've got a book signing this weekend at Katy Budget Books that I'm looking forward to. What about you guys? Are you traveling? Are you planning to read, and, if so, what?

Kimber Live! In Person - Discussing the Southern Witch series and Signing Books! 6:30 P.M on 9/2/09 Murder by the Book 2342 Bissonnet St. Houston, TX 77005 (713) 524-8597 AND... Tomorrow in CyberSpace! Learn what I think Bryn's theme song might be + other Kimber musings at: Visit BittenByBooks.com to... read my interview and... win prizes like a Bevy of Witches! (Also giving away Barnes & Noble gift cards and a stack of books!)

Today I'm guest-blogging (and giving away a copy of Barely Bewitched ) at Fang-tastic Books where my post will be all about my favorite ocelot, Mercutio.

The Day 6 winner is Cait045 The Day 7 winner is Shel Congratulations!! And thank you, everyone, so much for being part of Parapalooza. It was great fun seeing you and reading all your wonderful and creative answers this week! Hugs, Kimber

Southern Witch series Quote of the Day "Georgia Sue's voice on the answering machine kept going. I love her dearly, but she's the sort of person who can't see why anyone would say in one sentence what could be said just as well in three." ~ Tammy Jo on her best friend. * * * Kim Lenox writes a historical paranormal series set in Victorian times, and I swear that when you read her books, you'll feel like you're there. In Night Falls Darkly , the first in her Shadow Guard series, the powerful immortal hunters are on the trail of Jack the Ripper, and Kim creates a very interesting explanation for why the Ripper might have disappeared without a trace. As a reader, I really love when an author bends reality to create something original and fresh for me to think about. I recently asked Kim what her most creative solution to writer's block is, and here's what she had to say: "My most creative solution for writer's block while writing So Still the

The Day 5 Winner is throuthehaze. (I have your e-mail from your post, so I'll send you an e-mail to get your snailmail address to send the books.) Congratulations, Througthehaze!

Southern Witch series Quote of the Day: "All I needed was to drive the werewolves off, find Edie, cure Zach, and get a new job. Piece of cake. Well, a five-layer, two-days-in-the-making, and every-pan-in-the-kitchen-dirty Death By Chocolate Cake maybe." * * * I know several things about Dakota Cassidy. First, she looks fabulous in a little black dress. (I met her very, very briefly at a cocktail party in Dallas) Second, she's very generous. I'm pretty sure she was crazy busy with her own writing when my editor asked her if she'd be willing to read a book by a new author for a possible cover quote. Third, she's got a great wry, self-deprecating humor that makes you want to have a million margaritas with her. When I asked if her: "If you were a song from the 80's which would you be?" here's what she said... "I'd like to say Like a Virgin is the song I'd be from the 80s, but that'd be a total lie. 'Cause I was no virgin. So

Mary D is the Day 4 Winner! Congratulations, Mary. :) I'll e-mail you to get your snail-mail address.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE! September 1, 2009 It's the Barely Bewitched Release Day, and I'll be visiting the wonderful review site Fang-tastic Books . If you come and comment, you can win a copy of Barely Bewitched ! September 2, 2009 I'll be a guest at the fantastic paranormal book review site Bitten By Books. I'd be giving away prizes (including Barely Bewitched , other authors' books, B&N gift cards, and the sexy witch figure you see below). The site awards prizes based on points you earn, so if you plan to attend the event, go and comment as an RSVP to earn more points. The link is: www.bittenbybooks.com

Southern Witch series - Quote of the Day "And how come the Glenfiddle workers remembered me splashing them with the passionflower potion? Weren't these potions supposed to cause at least a little bit of amnesia? I mean how was a witch supposed to spell-cast without getting caught?" ~ Tammy Jo, realizing that when she rescues people from monsters, she needs to be sneaky about it. Life as a witch is so complicated! * * * Maria Lima is a terrific cyber-friend that I met at my friend Nancy Pickard's blog awhile ago. Maria writes a wonderful series of paranormal books (the Blood Lines series) that are set in Texas and are packed with mystery. How could I not love them? Here's the first line from Matters of the Blood : "I know the dead, and the dead know me. Not a personal choice, mind you, just the result of being born into a family of necromancers." Maria hooked me with that opening and pulled me through the rest of her story, which is just as great. Recent

I decided that we needed more pictures of the Spike action figure, because can a paranormal blog ever have too much Spike? Witchy Woman is our Day 3 winner. Congratulations WW!

The Day of the Dieties? Today's a young adult-friendly day! Tera Lynn Childs is a young adult author, Kelly McCullough's hero, Ravirn, is in college, and I know that I've got some teen readers of the Southern Witch series! Also interestingly, both Tera's OMG series and Kelly's WebMage series feature Greek gods. So far, no Greek gods have turned up in the Southern Witch series...but you just never know when one might. * * * Southern Witch series - Quote of the Day "Hey there, God. It's me again. Tammy Jo. I guess you've probably seen what's going on here in Duvall, but in case you've been too busy in some other part of the world to notice, I have to mention that I've kind of brought on an accidental Armageddon down here." She paused. "Yep. Sorry about that." * * * In addition to being a super talented Young Adult author, Tera Lynn Childs's one of the best road trip passengers of all time. If you scan back through my blogpo

Here's the Spike doll I told you guys about in the comments of the Day 3 post. The Spike action figure has removable goggle-glasses and comes with a kitten (remember the demon card game?), a chalice, and Giles's "Kiss the Librarian" coffee cup. The cup's filled with blood (and a cinnamon stick or something) as it was when Spike was sleeping on the couch at Giles's. Day 2's winner is Brandy W. Congratulations Brandy!!

Southern Witch series - Quote of the Day: "Hey, watch those paws. Remember you're not a tabby. With jungle cat strength comes jungle cat responsibilities." ~ Tammy Jo to Mercutio * * * Okay, I just adore Kerrelyn Sparks, so expect to see more of her later in the week. For those who don't know, Kerrelyn Sparks writes the fantastic "Love At Stakes" series of humorous vampire romances. And she doesn't just write them great, she writes them fast, often delivering more than one book a year! She's amazing, so I was very interested in hearing about her process. Here's what she had to say on the subject of writing: "When I've completed a book, I adore writing! When I'm starting a book, I suddenly develop an interest in laundry." ~ Kerrelyn Sparks (Hee hee hee. I love that quote!) Kerrelyn went on to admit that she's "a lazy slug" at the beginning of each story because she writes character-driven books, and it takes her tim

Wow. You guys ROCKED again today, and there's so much I want to say that I have to do an entire post in between the posts. Okay, first off, so many people wanted to help other people. I love that. You guys are awesome! Now to Robert, whom I believe said he'll "maybe put someone else in charge. Cats, I think." I wanted to let you know that I believe the cats are already secretly in charge. I checked with Mercutio, and he confirmed it. (Also, this topic of cats ruling the world will be covered a bit more in a later post when I giveaway a book by my friend Kelly McCullough somewhere around Parapalooza Day 4.) Also, Mercutio approved of the icon of Calvin & Hobbs. As it turns out, RK, I am not related to Jeaniene Frost, but her books are great and I think she's got a great last name. ;) Hugs back to you, Jillena (and to everyone). To those who want the time-travel powers, I wanted to say that I want them, too. I'd use them to go back in time to steal Jamie fro

Southern Witch series - Quote of the Day: "I don't know why people pay for rental cars when so many friends and family members just leave their keys lying around unattended." ~ Tammy Jo Trask, whose car is often misplaced. * * * NYT bestselling author Nina Bangs writes awesome sexy, funny paranormal romances, but she didn't always know that she would become a writer. When asked in an interview what she wanted to be when she grew up, she said: "I wasn't so practical when I was young. I wanted to ride horses. I wasn't too clear on the concept of how I'd manage that, but I was open to suggestions." Don't you just love that? Amazingly, she went on to raise and show Arabians for a few years. So apparently Nina's good at turning all kinds of dreams into reality. I'm taking notes! (To learn more about Nina's terrific books, visit her site - www.NinaBangs.com ) * * * Another author whose work I love is Alyssa Day. She writes about the l

Okay through a very complicated process that involved two Aruban coin tosses and then pulling numbers from a small plastic bag, we have a Parapalooza Day 1 winner! Patti (of the "Book Addict" & "Sleepless in New Orleans" blogs), please e-mail me through my website to claim your books. (Or post your e-mail in the comments of this post) And we're moving into Parapalooza - Day 2. See you in the new comments section!

Southern Witch series - Quote of the Day: "I'd never kill anyone with hair that fabulous." ~ Rollie the vampire * * * Gerry Bartlett writes a terrific humorous paranormal series featuring a beautiful full-figured vampire. Here's what Gerry has to say about becoming one of the undead herself... Since you write about vampires, if you had the choice, would you want to be one? "Lots to consider here. First, my heroine, Glory St. Clair, was turned when she had a few extra pounds to lose and then she was stuck like that. So first, I’d have to diet down to a perfect weight. And that’s obviously not going to happen. I have the self-control of a mosquito in a nudist colony. Then there’s the whole liquid diet thing. Sorry, but I love my food too much to give it up. What fun is it to live forever without steak and a baked potato? Not to mention chocolate truffles. I have to have crunch in my diet too, just like my heroine. She suffers just to taste the occasional Cheeto. O

While I was busy writing the next book in the series, the Barely Bewitched release date (September 1st) was lurking around the corner and is now ready to pounce like a cat...well like an ocelot. In Book 2 of the Southern Witch series, Tammy Jo Trask returns with bigger adventures, more romance, and much bigger hair. Texas-sized hair extensions, you ask? Why no. It's magic. Well, a magical cover artist anyway. Maybe he'd like to work in Duvall at Johnny's hair salon. I'll have to check with Berkley about that... Anyway, in honor of going from being a debut novelist to a multi-published novelist this year, I'm hosting my first-ever contest. Right here. Beginning on Tuesday 8/25/09 for seven straight (or twisted) days. I'll be giving away copies of BARELY BEWITCHED (& WOULD-BE WITCH if you missed Book 1) as well as copies of other fabulous paranormals. All you have to do is show up and comment for a chance to win . Let the partypalooza begin!!

Do you know Austin, Texas's unofficial slogan? I love that! Love it, and it fits. There's a guy selling cupcakes out of a trailer in the middle of an empty lot. There's bat-watching from the bridge (I swear those rabies shots are totally painless), and I've spotted some twenty-somethings sporting dreadlocks, making me wonder just what they and Robert Pattinson have against combing their hair. (Not that I'm anti-Pattinson. I just liked his hair better in Goblet, you kno w?) Anyway, I'm going to try to stay weird this weekend at Armadillocon 31, a science fiction & fantasy literary conference. So if you live in Austin and want to try to talk me into dreadlocks, wander over to the DoubleTree hotel. We can discuss that along with Hollywood hair gel experiments gone wrong and which books we love and which we'd love to forget. Here's a place to check out who'll be where and when: DilloCon31